About Why should AS400 Programmers upgrade to an IDE?
IBM i programmers have used the green-screen SEU editor to write their RPG code for decades. The Source Entry Utility is essentially a NOTEPAD editor which runs natively on the IBM i System. It's been around ever since the AS400 and iSERIES machines. SEU was discontinued several years ago, it still works but has not been maintained so it does not check syntax for any of the newer program code logic. So what are the alternatives?
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IBM i programmers have used the green-screen SEU editor to write their RPG code for decades. The Source Entry Utility is essentially a NOTEPAD editor which runs natively on the IBM i System. It's been around ever since the AS400 and iSERIES machines. SEU was discontinued several years ago, it still works but has not been maintained so it does not check syntax for any of the newer program code logic. So what are the alternatives?
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities for software development. An IDE normally consists of at least a source-code editor, build automation tools, and a debugger.
For modern development on the IBM i System, you have several excellent IDE options: 1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code): This is a highly customizable and popular open-source IDE. With extensions like "Code for IBM i," you can connect to IBM i systems, edit, compile, and debug code directly from VS Code¹². It supports various programming languages used on IBM i, such as RPG, COBOL, and CL. 2. IBM Rational Developer for i (RDi): Built on the Eclipse platform, RDi is specifically designed for IBM i development. It offers advanced features like syntax highlighting, code completion, integrated debugging, and build automation³⁵. 3. IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration (Merlin): This is a newer tool that integrates modern development and DevOps processes. It aligns IBM i application development with standards around Jenkins, Git, and uses a browser-based Theia IDE, which is compatible with Visual Studio Code⁴. These IDEs provide robust tools and features to enhance productivity and streamline the development process on IBM i systems.